Button-attaching machine



J. S. FINCH. BUTTON ATTACHING-MACHINEP A APPLICATION HLED SEPT. s, 1918.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921;

mvgmon Lia/222 Ai'TORNEY chine disclosed in my pending JOHN S. FINCH, OFBRTDGEPOBIT,

UNITED STATES;

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, ACORPORATION 03? NEW JERSEY.

BUTTON-ATTACHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters .Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed September 9, 1918. Serial No. 253,136.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. FINOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inButton-Attaching Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in button attaching machines andparticularly to improvements in the button-stapling ma- U. S.application Serial No. 207,675, filed December 18, 1917, although theinvention is equally applicable to other types of button attachingmachines.

In machines of the class adapted to at tach shank buttons to articles,the buttons are usually guided to the attaching devices by means of aninclined chute and are placed in the chute by means of a feed-wheelpositioned in a button-hopper or -receptacle. Difficulties have arisenin feed-wheels of prior constructions in that frequently the shanks ofthe buttons were caught and pinched between the rigidly projecting teethof the feed-wheel and the edge of the button-chute, thereby jamming themachine. The same undesirable result was also frequently caused by thejamming of the but tons in the hopper between adjacent teeth of thefeed-wheel.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedfeed-wheel for button attaching machines obviating the defects inherentin feeding wheels of prior constructions.

The invention has for another object to provide improved and convenientmeans for at will suspending the operation of the but ton-feed wheelwithout interference with the operation of the staple-forming and setting mechanism of the machine.

ther objects of the inventlon will be ap parent from the followingdescription and claims.

.In accordance with the present improvement and in its preferredembodiment the feed-wheel is carried by a feed-wheel actuating shaftpassing through the buttonhopper. The feed-wheel is formed with spacedprojections or teeth of peculiar design and adapted to deposit thebuttons upon a slotted button-chute formed within the hopper. The teethof the feed-wheel are rhomb shaped in cross section and positioned withrelation to the button-chute so as to initially present an obtuse angleof the rhomboid closely adjacent thereto. The produced edge of thevertex of this obtuse angle is the cast-off edge for the buttons and aline coinciding with this edge would pass substantially in advance ofthe center of the feed-wheel. Consequently the angle formed between thecast-ofl edge of a tooth and the adjacent edge of the chute is at alltimes less acute than when said castcff edge, when produced, passessubstantially through the center of the feed-wheel. The resulting actionis such that the shank of a button not correctly dropped in the slot ofthe chute is again diverted into the hopper instead of being pinchedbetween a tooth of the feed-wheel and the side of the chute.

The bases of the feed-wheel teeth are in (lined downwardly toward thechute to deiect the buttons upon the latter, and are in clineddownwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of thefeedwheel so that the rear side of each tooth is shorter than theadvance side of the succeeding tooth. By means of this construction, asthe teeth plunge into the buttons in the hopper there is providedsuiiicient clearance to obviate jamming of the buttons in the spacebetween two teeth and the hopper.

The feed-wheel is carried by a feed-shaft suitably journaled in abutton-hopper having a hinged cover. The hinged cover is 'operativelyconnected with devices whereby the lifting of the cover brings saiddevices into operation to render the feed-shaft actuating mechanismnon-effective.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a left side elevation of aportion of the button stapling machine embodying the present improvementwith the button-hopper in closed position. Fig. 2 is a top plan of aportion of the machine and showing the cover of the hopper in raisedposition. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the feed-wheel as viewed from theside opposite to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Figs. 4: and 5are detail views of the disk provided for suspending the operation ofthe feed-wheel.

Referring to the drawings, the machine frame 1 is provided withstandards 2, 3, which may be secured in the usual manner upon asupporting base (not shown). Suitably secured upon the machine frame 1is the button-feeding frame 4, provided with the forwardly inclinedbutton-chute 5 and the button-chute cover-plate 6 and carrying abutton-hopper or -receptacle 7 provided with a hinged cover-plate 8.Journaled in suitable bearings formed in the button-hopper is afeed-shaft 9 upon which is secured a feed-wheel 10 adapted to turnclock-wise when viewed as in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

To impart to the feed-wheel 10 the desired step-by-step rotarymovements, there is suitably secured on the feed-shaft 9 a ratchetwheel11 adapted to be engaged by two spring-depressed pawls 12 and 13 pivotedrespectively on disks 14: and 15, loosely mounted on said shaft. Thedisks 14.- and 15 are connected by means of links 16 and 17, with acam-disk 18 and operate in a manner to turn the ratchet-wheel in asingle direction during each of the oppositely directed movements of thecam-disk 18. The camdisk 18 is carried by the main rock-shaft 19, journaled in bearings provided in the frame 1 and to which is secured atriangular shaped rock-lever 2O housed in the machine frame and suitablyconnected with a treadleactuated rod 21.

Means are provided to suspend the feeding action of the feed-wheelwithout disturbing the operation of the fastening or attachingmechanism. To this double disk 22 provided with peripheries of differentradii is loosely carried by the shaft 9 and connected by means of a link23 with the hinged cover-plate 8 in such a manner that movement of thecover-plate will oscil late the disk 22. The pawls l2 and 13respectively carry pins 24 and 25 adapted to track the peripheries ofthe disk. When the cover-plate 8 is closed, the pins 24: and 25 trackthe peripheries having the smaller radii, thereby permitting the pawlsto engage the ratchet-wheel 11 and actuate the feed-wheel. When,however, the coverplate 8 is lifted, the disk 22 is turned to deflectthe pawls out of operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel, therebysuspending the operation of the feed-wheel.

Housed within the button-hopper and po, sitioned closely adjacent thefeed-wheel is an inclined button-chute 26, provided with an open slot 27for the button-shanks and communicating with the button-chute 5. Thechutes 5 and 26 serve to deliver the end, a

buttons to the attaching mechanism by gravity action.

.The feed-wheel 10 is provided with a plurality of non-radial teeth orprojections 28 substantially rhomb-shaped in cross-section. The buttoncast-off edges 29 of the feedwheel are the advance edges closestadjacent to the button-chute 26 edges determine the vertex of an obtusefrom the rear surface of a increasing and each of these.

in advance of the center of the feed-wheel and consequently the angleformed between an edge 29 and the adjacent edge of the button-chute 26is at all times less acute than when said cast-off edge, when produced,

passed substantially through the center of the feed-wheel. The resultingaction is such that the shank of a button not correctly dropped in theslot of the chute is pushed by said edge back into the hopper instead ofbeing pinched between the tooth and the side of the chute.

The bases 30 of the feed-wheel teeth are inclined in transversedirections, that is, downwardly toward the button-chute 26 to deflectthe buttons upon the latter and also downwardly in a direction oppositeto the direction of rotation of the feed-wheel. The function of thelatter inclination is to form the rear side 31 of each tooth shorterthan the advance side 32 of the succeeding tooth. By means of thisconstruction the button clearance between two teeth increases from theside 31 to the side 32, and therefore as the teeth plunge into thebuttons in the hopper the additional clearance provided obviates jammingof the buttons in the space between two teeth and the hopper. Theinclined sides 31 and 32 of the teeth therefore act to properly pick upthe buttons and deliver them upon the chute 26 in the desired manner. 1

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. In a button-attaching machine, a feed wheel having a plurality ofspaced teeth providing an increasing button clearance tooth to theadvance surface of the succeeding tooth.

2. 111 a button-attaching machine, a rotary feed-wheel provided with aplurality of rhomb-shaped teeth having button-engaging surfaces inclinedto the direction of rotation of the feed-wheel and in which the rearbutton-engaging surface of each tooth is shorter than the advancesurface of the succeeding tooth. V

3. In a button-attaching machine, a feedwheel having a plurality ofspaced teeth of which the bases are inclined to provide anbutton-clearance from, the rear surface of each tooth to the advancedsurface of its succeeding tooth and inclined in the direction transverseto the button-clearance incline to discharge the buttons therefrom.

4. A. rotary feed-wheel for button attach- .ing machines, comprising aplurality. of

greater length than the V ceptacle,

combination with a button-receptacle, a but ton-carrier housed Withinsaid button-reand means for actuating said button-carrier, of a movablecover-plate for said receptacle, and means for suspending the action ofsaid button-carrier independently of said button-receptacle by movementof said cover-plate.

6. In a button-attaching machine, the combination With abutton-receptacle, a button-carrier housed Within said receptacle,

an oscillating actuatlng shaft, and operative connections between saidactuating shaft, and said button-carrier whereby said button-carrier isdriven in a continuous direction during each of the oppositely directedmovements of said actuating shaft, of means for rendering said operativeconnections ineffective independently of said button-receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN S. FINCH.

